England and France Prepare for World Cup Third-Place Showdown in Miami
Neither England nor France desires to participate in this playoff. Both teams would prefer to be in New Jersey competing for the World Cup title. Instead, they will face off in Miami for third place after falling short in the semifinals.
Several intriguing storylines surround this match. Notably, it marks Didier Deschamps’ final game as France’s head coach. The former midfielder, who led the national team to victories in the 1998 World Cup and 2000 Euros, guided Les Bleus to consecutive World Cup finals as a manager, winning in 2018. His 14-year tenure will conclude on Saturday, with Zinedine Zidane expected to succeed him.
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Kylian Mbappé remains in the race for his second consecutive World Cup Golden Boot. Entering his final match of the tournament, the French star is tied with Argentina’s Lionel Messi, both having scored eight goals.
England is still coming to terms with a dramatic loss to Argentina in the semifinals, which has sparked criticism of manager Thomas Tuchel for his decision to adopt a defensive approach after Anthony Gordon’s opening goal. Questions remain about whether this will be his last match in charge of the Three Lions.
Start time: 5 p.m. ET
Venue: Miami Stadium | Miami Gardens, Fl.
TV channel: Fox, Telemundo (Spanish)
Live stream: Fox One, Peacock (Spanish)
Follow along below for all the latest news, lineups, highlights, analysis, and live updates from France vs. England:
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Sean Leahy
Didier Deschamps confirmed he will make changes to France’s starting lineup, and Kylian Mbappé will be available for Saturday’s World Cup third-place match against England.
Mbappé is competing for the Golden Boot and enters Saturday tied with Argentina’s Lionel Messi, each having scored eight goals. Messi currently holds the tiebreaker with one more assist than Mbappé.
“Whether they play or not, I have the duty as a head coach to do everything I can to reach tomorrow’s objective,” said Deschamps, who will be managing his last game for France. “I hope that we do, and we must display all the efforts to do so.
“It is one game. I have some keys in my possessions. Some players might play, others due to personal reasons will want to play. I do not want to betray any discussions I had with the players. I do not have all the elements but, yes, I will substitute some players.”
FT LAUDERDALE, FL – JULY 17: Kylian Mbappe #10 of France is seen during a France team training session in preparation for a FIFA World Cup 26 Bronze Final match between France and England at the Inter Miami CF Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.(Photo by Chris Arjoon)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Sean Leahy
England and France will aim to join the ranks of past World Cup third-place finishers today:
1930: No playoff
1934: Germany
1938: Brazil
1950: No playoff
1954: Austria
1958: France
1962: Chile
1966: Portugal
1970: West Germany
1974: Poland
1978: Brazil
1982: Poland
1986: France
1990: Italy
1994: Sweden
1998: Croatia
2002: Turkey
2006: Germany
2010: Germany
2014: Netherlands
2018: Belgium
2022: CroatiaDOHA, QATAR – DECEMBER 17: Luka Modric of Croatia with team after winning the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 3rd Place match between Croatia and Morocco at Khalifa International Stadium on December 17, 2022 in Doha, Qatar.(Photo by Richard Sellers/Getty Images)
(Richard Sellers/Allstar via Getty Images)
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Sean Leahy
The Three Lions and Les Bleus will clash at 5 p.m. ET at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. While both teams would prefer to be competing for the title in New Jersey, they will settle for a battle for third place.
